My Malibu 79 is leaking in the passanger side, I have read some threads and already clean the drain below the screen area in the front windshield. With that I said that I reduce the leaking at half, but still. What it can be?
Water leaking in Passanger side
- Thread starter AJRivera
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Other causes in leaking heater-A/C box seals, the windshield glue giving out, rust holes in the cowl area under the trim, cowl body seam filler failure.
I'm also battling a passenger side water leak, and it's traced to a leaking seal left side of the HVAC box. Traced it by pulling the carpet back along with removing the glove compartment door during a heavy rain. Plan on using a urethane sealer along the side of the box as what's used for installing windshields.
Mine proved to be a rusted section of firewall behind the passenger inner fender well and below the HVAC box. There was also a split in the fibre casing, all of which I take to mean that at some point either the heater core blew out or a previous owner didn't keep up the quality of the Antifreeze and the core froze and ruptured. I ended up having to cut away all the damaged and rusted material and fabricate a replacement panel which I migged into place. If this is the route you end up having to take, be sure to have all the insulation and carpeting removed and be down to the bare metal. There can be seam sealer and other crap applied to the surface areas and that all has to go away or you will not get a good pass. In my case I had the motor out for other reasons and that gave me room to climb into the engine well and get up close and personal with the problem.
and there's area on the top of the firewall / cowl area where the panels come together where the seam sealer will fail at some point .Of course you have to remove the fender to see and repair.
Oddly enough, one of my leaks was the flapper door inside the heater box. The surrounding rubber deteriorated which allowed water to escape into the interior. Most leaks are caused by a bad heater box seal, poorly caulked, or cracked body seams, and of course a rusted windshield channel.
I've probably had a combination of all over time.
I don't advise using urethane or butyl caulk to seal the HVAC box. If you ever need to replace the heater core or evaporator, you're in deep trouble.
I do recommend using 3M Strip caulk. That stuff really works and it remains somewhat pliable.
I've probably had a combination of all over time.
I don't advise using urethane or butyl caulk to seal the HVAC box. If you ever need to replace the heater core or evaporator, you're in deep trouble.
I do recommend using 3M Strip caulk. That stuff really works and it remains somewhat pliable.
I found this service bulletin in one of the boxs I have, its dated February of 1982 and can be used for other gbodys and years. The original is yellow and was not coming out clear as a picture so I photo copped it.
Hope this info will help members with water leaks.
Hope this info will help members with water leaks.
Man, if that doesn't detail all the problem areas, nothing does.
Thank you for posting that very useful information. Hopefully it will enlighten the G-body community.
Thank you for posting that very useful information. Hopefully it will enlighten the G-body community.
Those are the details you won't find in a service manual, luckily I kept all of the service bulletins.
Curious if GM added the sealer starting in 1983.
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